Graffiti Suite – Norbert Stein Pata Music, played by NDR Bigband. A technique partially employed by Norbert Stein in his various hybrid productions, notably those with Brazilian bands and Indonesian Gamelan ensembles, is applied in Graffiti Suite in its purest form: graphic pata-compositions for improvising orchestra.

This new approach to Pata music, which uses elaborate graphic symbols to generate orchestral events and guide complex musical sequences, was developed by Stein in his many years of work with improvising ensembles.

CD 1: Franz Pataeng’s powerful sound sculptures at the opening of the Graffiti Suite are the first of many unconventional locations in this extraordinary musical excursion. A hailstorm of shattering chords crowns the end of the first movement and the dramatic culmination of the five-part suite is a torrent of pulsating jazz rhythms. In U.B.U. the melody soars up out of the dark-tone morass like a human utterance, and the masterly harmonics of the experienced horn players demonstrate their natural instinct for the sound of contemporary horn sections. A bubbling stream of modern jazz rhythms flows into dense blocks of collective improvisation which offer occasional glimpses of the musical oases which can be created by spontaneously formed ensembles.

The sequence of sound pictures in Music in 7 houses invites us to meditate on time, individuality, and the natural simultaneity of European and non-European aesthetics.

CD2: The mountain in Flocking birds is a slow, winding ascent between reverberating rock faces. In Birds´flight we experience the auditory transformation of a swarm of birds in flight. Machine People continues the musical box theme in a pleasantly relaxing groove. In their performance of the Graffiti Suite premiere, the NDR Bigband shows itself exceptionally open to the adventure of contemporary music. In Hot spots, Thai Chi and More, Norbert Stein guides the band away from instrumental music into the realm of music as the spoken word. In Purgatory of vowels, the choir is the vocal backdrop against which the instrumental solos can unfold.

Graffiti Suite is the eighteenth Pata Music release and cleverly combines the proficiency and potency of a big band with Norbert Stein’s trans-boundary innovativeness.
The line up of the NDR Bigband for Graffiti Suite:

Thorsten Benkenstein, trumpet – Ingolf Burkhardt, trumpet – Claus Stoetter, trumpet – Michael Leuschner, trumpet – Philipp Kacza, trumpet – Fiete Felsch, alto saxophone, clarinet, recorder – Peter Bolte, alto saxophone, clarinet, flute – Christoph Lauer, tenor saxophone, flute – Lutz Buechner, tenor saxophon, clarinet, flute – Frank Delle, bariton saxophone, bassclarinet, flute – Markus Steinhauser, tenor saxophone – Gabriel Coburger, tenor saxophone – Dan Gottshall, trombone – Sebastian Hoffmann, trombone – Stefan Lottermann, trombone – Ingo Lahme, bass trombone, tuba – Christophe Schweizer, trombone – Stephan Diez, guitar – Lucas Lindholm, double bass – Vladyslav Sendecki, piano – Marcio Doctor, percussion – Mark Nauseef, drums – Norbert Stein, composition, conductor.

Graffiti Suite
Pata Music 2-CD set 18

Thorsten Benkenstein / trumpet, Ingolf Burkhardt / trumpet, Claus Stoetter / trumpet, Michael Leuschner / trumpet, Philipp Kacza, trumpet, Fiete Felsch / alto saxophone, clarinet, recorder, Peter Bolte / alto saxophone, clarinet, flute, Christoph Lauer / tenor saxophone, flute, Lutz Buechner / tenor saxophon, clarinet, flute, Frank Delle / bariton saxophone, bassclarinet, flute, Markus Steinhauser / tenor saxophone, Gabriel Coburger / tenor saxophone, Dan Gottshall / trombone, Sebastian Hoffmann / trombone, Stefan Lottermann / trombone, Ingo Lahme / bass trombone, tuba, Christophe Schweizer / trombone, Stephan Diez / guitar, Lucas Lindholm / double bass, Vladyslav Sendecki / piano, Marcio Doctor / percussion, Mark Nauseef / drums, Norbert Stein / composition, conductor.

CD1 tracks: Franz Pataeng (Part I to IV) – U.B.U. (No.w.here) – Music in 7 houses (First to Seventh house)
CD2 tracks: Flocking birds (The mountain/Purgatory of vowels/Birds´flight) – Hot spots, Tai Chi & More (Global positions/Machine people/Zigzag Aethernitas)

listen to Franz Pataeng

listen to flocking birds

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